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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22999753">Two Sides of a Coin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatchworkIdeas/pseuds/PatchworkIdeas'>PatchworkIdeas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>WinterFRE 2020 [25]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Hobbit - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(kinda), Angst, Comedy, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Poor Fíli, Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:22:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>730</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22999753</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatchworkIdeas/pseuds/PatchworkIdeas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes things are not as they seem.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fíli &amp; Kíli (Tolkien)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>WinterFRE 2020 [25]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604650</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>GatheringFiKi - Winter FRE 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Two Sides of a Coin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Prompt Nr.111:<br/>They’ve tortured the prince for days, until he finally broke and gave them his dead brother’s name. He never expected for said brother to save him.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Kili. My name is Kili.”<br/>
Blood drips from his mouth at the words, his body hanging limp between the henchmen holding him up.<br/>
For the first time in three days, the hit doesn’t come.</p><p>“Now, was that really so hard, Kili? Worth all that trouble?” The thug paces around him and Fili doesn’t even try to keep him in his sight anymore. There’s nothing he can do anyway. He’s going to die.</p><p>“Why are you here, Kili? Where are you from?”</p><p>His head lolls forward, no strength left to hold it up. His voice is reed thin when he answers: “I’m a traveler from Durin’s Hall. Just passing by.”</p><p>It’s a horrible lie and he knows it.<br/>
The other does, too.<br/>
The hits start again.</p><p>His answers vary each time, all but one.<br/>
“Kili, my name is Kili.”<br/>
Kili is dead, fell to his death in the canyon. He will never have a grave now.<br/>
But maybe he can share Fili’s. If these barbarians have enough honor to give him one.</p><p>-</p><p>“Your name must be pretty common where you are from, Kili. As strange as it sounds to us.”<br/>
Kili blinks, interrupted from his meal. His splintered leg is laid out on a pillow, and the food, delivered on golden plates, is delicious.<br/>
He still doesn't think he's worth all the fuss, his fall on the bandit’s leader was purely accidentally after all, but if they insist on treating him like the hero who saved the day - and the princess - who is he to stop them?<br/>
Especially considering that he can't really leave, what with his broken leg and all. Might as well get pampered.</p><p>“Not… really. I don’t know anyone else with my name, though my brother’s sounds similar. Why, have you found him?”</p><p>The princess shakes her head, sadly. “No one named Fili has crossed our borders, I’m afraid. But someone was apparently found prowling through our holy gardens, hunting one of our sacred ancestors. They have finally gotten him to admit to his name at least, though he apparently still refuses to give up any other information, so that we may punish him according to our laws. Are you alright?”<br/>
Kili’s face goes white, a horrible feeling rising in his gut.<br/>
He has to know.<br/>
“Can you take me to him? Please, I need to see him!” Kili implores the princess.<br/>
He can’t walk, but he will crawl on his belly if he needs to.</p><p>-</p><p>The hits have stopped. The torture hasn’t. Or perhaps it has, and now they will divest of him in his grave, bury him alive. Barely alive, really.<br/>
His captors are grumbling, dragging him along the hard floors and up stairs after stairs. They both make sure not to miss a chance to hurt him on the way, and complain about the blood stains he leaves everywhere.</p><p>“Wouldn't be bleeding so much if I were dead, mhh?” he rasps out, thoroughly tired of it all. </p><p>The thug just scoffs. “Don’t tempt me, no idea why the princess insists on seeing scum like you.”</p><p>Princess?</p><p>He wants to ask, but the next flight of stairs is just ahead, and it has slipped his mind by the time he stops screaming.</p><p>-</p><p>“You are an idiot. I know that’s usually said about me, but seriously, that was idiotic.”</p><p>“How the hell was I supposed to know that damn squirrel wasn’t for eating?”</p><p>“I’m talking about your name. That you didn’t give. I literally got a slap on the wrist and a fine to pay when I took your punishment. They only needed some information to put it right in their books.”</p><p>“They were pointing their weapons at me, Kee. Like in Mirkwood. Didn’t exactly make me feel talkative, you know.”</p><p>“You do realize I’m the only one of us who got to eat meat in Mirkwood because I was smart enough to befriend Tauriel. I might be reckless, but your arrogance will be the death of you. You almost died over a <i>squirrel</i>, Fee.”</p><p>“Oh shut up.” Fili returns, and wishes he could hit his brother with one of the myriad pillows they are prepped up on. Why had he heroically given up his own name again? For an eternity of this? Really now, it's a good thing he can't move at all, bandaged as he is. He might just kill Kili with his hug otherwise.</p>
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